2014 Rogue kicks off production as 10,000,000th Nissan built in Tennessee

Tue, 15 Oct 2013

News comes across our desks all the time of one manufacturer marking some milestone or another. But Nissan has just announced a double-whammy: Not only has Nissan's assembly plant in Smyrna, TN, just built its ten-millionth vehicle, but that ten-millionth vehicle just so happened to be the first Nissan Rogue to be built in the United States.

The milestone arrives after over three decades of production that has included such nameplates as the Sentra, Altima, Maxima, Leaf, Pathfinder, Infiniti QX60, Xterra, Frontier, and now the Rogue. The latter crossover has swelled into Nissan's second best-selling vehicle, with demand growing by nearly 50 percent from 2010 to 2012. Now redesigned for 2014 and built locally, Nissan is evidently banking on demand continuing to rise.

NISSAN CELEBRATES 10 MILLION TENNESSEE-BUILT VEHICLES WITH START OF U.S. ROGUE ASSEMBLY

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Nissan celebrated two major milestones today with the first U.S.-produced 2014 Nissan Rogue rolling off the line in Smyrna, Tenn. as the facility's 10 millionth vehicle.

The Nissan Rogue is the fifth in a streak of five launches of core-volume models in just 15 months. The all-new product blitz that began with the new Nissan Altima now has refreshed more than 75 percent of Nissan showroom volume.

The shift of Rogue production to the United States is part of Nissan's broader strategy to build where it sells. By 2015, Nissan aims to have 85 percent of its products that are sold in the United States produced in North America.

Nissan's U.S. manufacturing footprint in Smyrna spans more than three decades and includes a number of iconic Nissan nameplates such as Altima, Pathfinder, Xterra, Frontier and Sentra.

"Momentum continues as we add new products, jobs and investment to our U.S. manufacturing operations," said Susan Brennan, Nissan's vice president of manufacturing in Smyrna. "For more than 30 years, the Smyrna plant has been building high-quality vehicles, and today's milestone serves as further testament to the flexibility, efficiency and talent of our U.S. workforce."

Demand for the Rogue grew nearly 50 percent from just under 100,000 units in 2010 to 142,000 units in 2012. Calendar-year sales of Rogue through September 2013 totaled 124,669, up 13.6 percent from the prior year. Set to go on sale in November, the totally redesigned 2014 model features a stylish right-sized exterior along with flexible, roomy and inviting interior with optional 3-row/7-passenger seating.

"The consistent sales growth of Rogue has made it one of the superstars of the Nissan lineup since its launch in 2007," said Fred Diaz, divisional vice president, Sales and Marketing, Service and Parts, Nissan U.S.A. "Now Nissan's second-best selling vehicle, we will look to the all-new Rogue to cotinue its momentum and help drive the brand's sales to the next level."

Nissan's Smyrna Plant now employs more than 7,000 people with an annual payroll in excess of $275 million. The plant is home to the award-winning Altima, Maxima, Pathfinder, LEAF and Infiniti QX60, as well as the country's largest lithium-ion automotive battery plant supporting production of the all-electric, zero-emission Nissan LEAF.

Nissan's hiring efforts continue. To learn more about a career with Nissan, interested applicants may visit www.Nissan.Jobs.

About Nissan
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 236,000 employees globally, Nissan sold more than 4.9 million vehicles and generated revenue of 9.6 trillion yen (USD 116.16 billion) in fiscal 2012. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of over 60 models under the Nissan and Infiniti brands. In 2010, Nissan introduced the Nissan LEAF, and continues to lead in zero-emission mobility. The LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle launched globally, is now the best-selling EV in history.

For more information on our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/.

About Nissan North America
In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.InfinitiUSA.com, or visit the Americas media sites NissanNews.com and InfinitiNews.com.

By Noah Joseph